There is tension in the chamber. On a front bench on the green-seated House of
Commons set first used for Jeffrey Archer’s First Among Equals
in 1986, and most recently dominated by Meryl Streep’s Maggie Thatcher, sits
Emily Watson. Regarded since her film debut in Lars von Trier’s
controversial movie Breaking the Waves as one of the most gifted
British actors of her generation, she is about to make her character’s big
parliamentary speech in Paula Milne’s new BBC Two mini-series The
Politician’s Husband.

Such is her concentration that when we are introduced she barely acknowledges
me. Yet when her